Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday, 16 June launched a pointed attack on the Narendra Modi government, demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the deepening crisis surrounding the NEET examination and a pattern of paper leaks across major competitive exams. Kharge's remarks came as the government temporarily blocked the messaging platform Telegram in connection with the NEET re-examination process.

What Kharge Said

In a post on X, Kharge directly addressed Prime Minister Modi, stating: 'Modi ji should first demand the resignation of his Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, who has effectively blocked the futures of crores of young people.' He argued that Pradhan's resignation represents 'the first test of accountability' for a government he accused of shielding the principal architects of paper leak networks while pursuing only peripheral figures.

Kharge alleged that over the past decade, as many as 90 paper leaks have occurred across competitive examinations, severely affecting approximately 9 crore youth seeking government jobs and higher education seats. 'The country's aware youth are making just one demand: the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan,' he asserted.

The Human Cost of Exam Scandals

The Congress chief drew attention to what he described as the devastating personal toll of the ongoing crisis. He noted that around half a dozen young aspirants have died by suicide following exam setbacks linked to alleged malpractice. Kharge also highlighted the financial burden on families — many of whom reportedly borrowed heavily to fund years of coaching for exams including NEET, SSC, UGC-NET, and CUET — only to see their children's prospects derailed by repeated leaks.

Broader Allegations Against the Government

Kharge criticised what he described as the government's reactive rather than remedial approach to the crisis. He alleged that measures such as deploying the Indian Air Force for question paper transport and blocking digital platforms were symptomatic of an administration failing to address systemic corruption in the education and recruitment sector.

He also referenced the recent CBSE results controversy, alleging that students as young as 17–18 years old were compelled to protest against what he characterised as a compromised system. He further claimed that the credibility of the UPSC examination had, in his words, 'come under a cloud of suspicion.'

Political Context

The demand for Pradhan's resignation is the sharpest escalation yet from the Congress in the NEET controversy, which has drawn widespread student protests and judicial scrutiny. This comes amid broader opposition pressure on the government over examination integrity — a politically sensitive issue given that competitive exams are a primary pathway to employment and higher education for millions of young Indians. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not yet formally responded to Kharge's specific demand for the minister's resignation.

With the NEET re-examination process still under way and multiple investigations ongoing, the political battle over accountability in India's examination system is expected to intensify in the days ahead.